For Minnesota Vikings, this game (almost) counts

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is defended by teammate Chris Cook, right, during a team scrimmage at Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato on Aug. 3, 2013. (Pioneer Press: Sherri LaRose-Chiglo)

Although he's champing at the bit, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson can't imagine a better time for his preseason debut than Sunday night in San Francisco, the third of four exhibitions before the Vikings open the regular season Sept. 8 at Detroit.

"I'm excited to get out there with the guys and get things going and see how things look," Peterson said Friday. "It's pretty big because we can see where the team is and see the progress the guys have made -- the young guys -- and you get a good feel for where you're at with two weeks before the regular season starts."

Preseason games, of course, don't count, but the stars are aligned to make Sunday night's game against the 49ers significant for the Vikings. They'll play on the road, against the defending NFC champions, in front of a national television audience.

"Getting on this stage and playing a team that was in the Super Bowl last year is huge for us," linebacker Chad Greenway said. "I don't think it defines our season, but it lets us know where we're at right now.

"We don't want to lay an egg. We want to show our coaches, ourselves, the organization, what we're made of."

Defensive players are jockeying for depth-chart position at cornerback, and veterans Marvin Mitchell and Desmond Bishop are battling for of the starting weak-side linebacker spot.

On special teams, players on the proverbial bubble will try to make a play or two that will earn them the favor of coordinator Mike Priefer.

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But most eyes -- fans' eyes -- will be on the starting offense, which has looked shaky without Peterson in the backfield. Most of the starters will play into the third quarter Sunday.

Historically, the third preseason game is the most interesting of the exhibitions, and the NFL created some appealing matchups -- Seattle Seahawks against the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets against the New York Giants are among the most notable.

Most NFL coaches give starters more playing time in the third preseason game, gauging players' readiness but providing enough time to recover before the regular season starts.

In the first two preseason games, the Vikings didn't game-plan for the opponents. But they did watch film of the 49ers, and they'll do some scheming against them.

"You want your guys to go into that third ballgame and come out of it feeling good about the defense -- to have some confidence to go into that first regular-season game," Vikings defensive coordinator Alan Williams said. "You want to iron out communication ... not problems ... but situations. You want to make sure your run fits are good. You want to go into it with confidence. So, for me, it is important."

In addition, coaches prefer to have their starting units play into the third quarter so they can see how players respond to halftime adjustments.

"It's an important process," Williams said.

But this weekend's game is also important for players trying to make an impression before the first round of cuts. By 3 p.m. Tuesday, all clubs must reduce rosters from 90 to 75 players.

"A lot of discussion about who we need to see, how many snaps we need to see them, and yet you're trying to balance what you need to get out of your starters, as well," Frazier said.

Quarterback Christian Ponder hasn't had much of a preseason, and he wants the passing offense to be more efficient.

"We want a higher level of execution this week," Ponder said. "It's a great opponent, a great barometer for us as a team."

Asked if Sunday's game is "crucial" for Ponder, Frazier said, "I don't know if crucial is the word I'd use. I think it's important for our entire team to go out and have some success as we're preparing for the regular season."

"There are certain benchmarks as a staff that we'd like to see our guys achieve," he added. "Coming off this field on Sunday night, you'd like to come off with some confidence about where you are in a lot of different areas.